The present invention relates to an optical disk which improves the visibility of visible information of a printed layer independently of the colors of a recording layer of a translucent reflective film. An optical disk is constructed by layering on the pits of a transparent disk substrate (1a), a recording layer (2a) of a translucent reflective film and a printed layer (4a) on which is printed visible information, with the visible information of the printed layer (4a) being visible from the disk substrate (1a) side of the disk. The color arrangement of the printed layer (4a) is selected such that the brightness difference between the lightest section and the darkest section on the viewed surface of the printed layer becomes 2.0 or above.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. An optical disk comprising: a transparent disk substrate; a recording layer formed from a translucent reflective film layered on pits based on signal information provided on said disk substrate; and a printed layer layered on said recording layer and having visible information printed thereon so that said visible information of said printed layer is visible from said disk substrate surface through said recording layer, wherein printed colors of said printed layer are selected such that a brightness difference between a lightest section and a darkest section on a surface of said printed layer is 2.0 or above.
2. An optical disk according to claim 1 , which has a reflectance of 45% 55% relative to a reproduction light beam.
3. An optical disk according to claim 1 , wherein an optical buffer layer formed from a light transmissive material is provided between said recording layer and said printed layer.
4. An optical disk according to claim 1 , wherein a material of said recording layer is selected from a group consisting of Au, an alloy incorporating Au and Cu, an alloy incorporating Cu and Si, an alloy incorporating Si as a main component, a compound of Si, and a mixture of Si and compound of Si.
5. An optical disk according to claim 1 , wherein said printed layer comprises a first printed layer for printing visible information, and a second printed layer for printing a background color for said visible information.
6. An optical disk according to claim 5 , wherein said second printed layer is formed by contact printing of a single color.
7. An optical disk according to claim 5 , wherein said first printed layer and said second printed layer each have a thickness of 2 m 30 m.
8. An optical disk having a first optical disk unit and a second optical disk unit each having a substrate and bonded together, at least one of the first optical disk unit and the second optical disk unit comprising: a transparent disk substrate; a recording layer formed from a translucent reflective film layered on pits based on signal information provided on said disk substrate; and a printed layer layered on said recording layer and having visible information printed thereon so that and said visible information of said printed layer is visible from said disk substrate surface through said recording layer, wherein printed colors of said printed layer are selected such that a brightness difference between a lightest section and a darkest section on a viewed surface of said printed layer is 2.0 or above, and said first optical disk unit and said second optical disk unit are bonded together with respective substrate surfaces thereof facing outwards.
9. An optical disk according to claim 8 , wherein said first optical disk unit and said second optical disk unit are bonded together by an opaque adhesive layer provided therebetween.
10. An optical disk according to claim 8 , wherein both of said first optical disk unit and said second optical disk unit comprise: a transparent disk substrate; a recording layer formed from a translucent reflective film layered on pits based on signal information provided on said disk substrate; and a printed layer layered on said recording layer and having visible information printed thereon so that said visible information of said printed layer is visible from said disk substrate surface through said recording layer, wherein printed colors of said printed layer are selected such that a brightness difference between a lightest section and a darkest section on a viewed surface of said printed layer is 2.0 or above, and said first optical disk unit and said second optical disk unit are bonded together with respective printed layers facing away from each other.
11. An optical disk according to claim 10 , wherein said printed layer of said first optical disk unit and said printed layer of said second optical disk unit are bonded together by an opaque adhesive layer provided therebetween.
12. An optical disk according to claim 8 , which has a reflectance of 45% 55% relative to a reproduction light beam.
13. An optical disk according to claim 8 , wherein an optical buffer layer formed from a light transmissive material is provided between said recording layer and said printed layer.
14. An optical disk according to claim 8 , wherein a material of said recording layer is selected from a group consisting of Au, an alloy incorporating Au, Cu, an alloy incorporating Cu, Si, an alloy incorporating Si as a main component, a compound of Si, and a mixture of Si and compound of Si.
15. An optical disk according to claim 8 , wherein said printed layer comprises a first printed layer for printing visible information, and a second printed layer for printing a background color for said visible information.
16. An optical disk according to claim 15 , wherein said second printed layer is formed by contact printing of a single color.
17. An optical disk according to claim 15 , wherein said first printed layer and said second printed layer each have a thickness of 2 m 30 m.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
June 21, 2000
March 25, 2003
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